Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles on misdemeanor battery and false imprisonment charges. The charges may be put on permanent hold as Abdul-Jabbar has settled a civil suit with victim and agreed to undergo 36 hours of anger counseling.

The annual return of the swallows to San Juan Capistrano, California, is scheduled to begin.

On the horizon

On Friday, March 20, the arraignment of Scott Malsky, accused of raping a 14-year-old girl and stabbing her over 30 times, is scheduled in Sarasota, Florida. He was acquitted on previous rape charges in Massachusetts.

On Saturday, March 21, a celebrity-studded ball benefiting the late Princess Diana's charities is scheduled in Los Angeles.

On Sunday, March 22, the winners of the 18th annual Golden Raspberry Foundation's worst-in-film awards or "Razzies" are scheduled to be announced in Los Angeles.

On Tuesday, March 24, the National Book Critics Circle Award winners are scheduled to be announced in New York.

On this day

In 1563, in France, the Peace of Amboise ended the First War
of Religion. The Huguenots were granted a limited amount of
toleration.

In 1853, during the Taiping Rebellion in China, the rebels
captured Nanking and renamed it T'ien-ching (Heavenly Capital).

In 1861, the Maori insurrection in New Zealand ended when they
finally surrendered.

In 1920, the U.S. refused to sign the Versailles Treaty and
join the League of Nations, for fear of being drawn into a war
if another member country was invaded.

In 1932, Australia's Sydney Harbor Bridge was officially
opened.

In 1944, in World War II under pressure from Hitler, Hungary
allows German troops to cross the border into the country.

In 1964, the Great St. Bernard Tunnel under the Alps between
Switzerland and Italy was opened to traffic.

In 1969, British troops took over the island of Anguilla
following internal political wranglings.

In 1970, the heads of the West and East German governments,
Willy Brandt and Willi Stoph, met at Erfurt. It was the first
east-west meeting since Germany was divided.

In 1972, a Treaty of friendship and mutual defense was signed
between India and Bangladesh.

In 1978, U.N. Security Council voted to send an Interim Force
to Lebanon after a massive Israeli air raid on 14 March.

In 1982, an Argentine scrap metal dealer landed on South
Georgia and planted an Argentinean flag. The situation escalated
and eventually led to the Falklands war.

In 1988, two British soldiers who drove into a Republican area
of Belfast during a funeral procession, were seized and killed.

In 1991, in Iraq, Kurdish rebels captured the northern oil
town of Kirkuk.

In 1994, a powerful bomb blast tore through a crowded metro
train in the Azerbaijan capital Baku, killing 12 people and
injuring 53.

In 1995, Britain's Queen Elizabeth started an historic state
visit to post-apartheid South Africa.

In 1996, Sarajevo became a united city again after four years
when Moslem-Croat authorities took control of the last district
held by Serbs.

Newslink

A collector whose JFK memorabilia went on the block Wednesday reached a last-minute settlement with the late President Kennedy's children, agreeing to hand over several "intensely personal" items. To learn more about the auction, clickhere.

Holidays and more

Today is St. Joseph's Day in Brazil, Liechtenstein, Malta, Spain, Switzerland, the Vatican City State and Venezuela.